


Take the Edge Off

by Teddy0414



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 03:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17820680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddy0414/pseuds/Teddy0414
Summary: They might have drifted apart, but they still know each other well enough.





	Take the Edge Off

**Author's Note:**

> Another brother fic because I couldn't quite resist! I sort of got the idea because I don't see them being in the right state for a teary comforting session, and sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you care about is let them know you're there in the best way you can.

Aaron had thought he had moved past the stage where he was bothered by nightmares. His brother was here and fine and ignoring him like always, but somehow that only brought back the wetness of blood drenching his fingers, the sound of the racket smashing into Drake’s skull, and the sight of his brother sitting there in a sheet laughing at the horror of it all. It is all this that wakes him at three in the morning, from a senseless nightmare full of hopelessness and fear. He jumps when he feels a hand on his wrist, but relaxes when he realizes it is only Nicky.

“Go back to sleep,” he hisses. “I’m going to get some water.”

He almost falls out of the loft bed, but somehow makes it to the kitchen on shaky legs, and ignores Nicky even though he can feel his cousin’s stare until he closes the door and leans against it. He keeps his eyes closed and counts to ten, but his pounding heart doesn’t slow and when he opens his eyes again and looks down he still thinks he sees blood beneath his nails.

“Sleeping too hard for you?”

Aaron’s head jerks backward and hits against the door. He rubs the injured spot and glares at his brother. Andrew sits on the couch, balancing a large bowl of ice cream. But when he sees that Andrew looked a lot less, well, Andrew, than usual, he nods.

“Me too, guess we match. I’m not sharing my dessert so go get your own if you want some.” It isn’t an outright invitation to join him, but Aaron knows it is all he will get. Aaron doesn’t need ice cream, so he places himself on the couch a safe distance away from his brother.

He doesn’t know what to expect from this Andrew, who has endured more than he has ever shared, who is no longer medicated, who is staring at him in a way that makes him want to retreat to the safety of his bed. “What.”

“I think this is the part where you spill your feelings, and I tell you that you’ll be alright,” Andrew prompts. He doesn’t look interested in doing either of those things, but Aaron knows that Andrew only offers something when he means it.

Aaron stares down at his hands, and even when he blinks he still sees the blood there. “I keep seeing it, killing him and…what he did to you.” He waits for the knives to come out, for Andrew to stalk off and leave him to deal with this alone.

But Andrew stays right where he is. “He deserved what he got. It didn’t bother me.”

 _Truth. Lie._ Silence hangs in the air. Aaron wonders if they’ll ever really talk about their childhood. He wonders if he even wants to. What Andrew went through, what he went through, were terrible things. But Andrew had fought for them both and they were here and surviving.

“Sure,” he says, and takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want to walk away from this moment, there are rarely any real ones with Andrew and he knows that when morning comes they’ll both pretend like this never happened. “I got that game that we were thinking of buying a few months ago. I haven’t started it yet, if you…”

Andrew just nods, and Aaron pops the disk in and hands his brother the second controller. Their hands brush, and Andrew squeezes once. It doesn’t take the fear away, but it takes the edge off, and that’s enough.


End file.
